Welcome to the DAV Website
The DAV is a non-profit association which exists to promote debate. It
is the peak debating body in Victoria and runs large competitions for
adults and for schools across Victoria. It provides training and
resources for debaters, teachers and adjudicators.

The grade and year that the topic was used has been noted in brackets behind each topic

Politics

That Australia shuold end its alliance with the US (A 2017)

That the value of a citizen's vote should diminish with age (C 2017)

That Australia should adopt a new national flag (D 2017)

That we should open all international border (A 2016)

That Australia should become a republic (D 2016)

That the West should lift all sanctions on Iran. (A 2014)

That we should reserve seats in Parliament for Indigenous Australians (D 2013)

That Greece should leave the Eurozone (A 2013)

That political party leaders should be directly elected by the Australian public (A 2012)

That the government has failed Indigenous Australians (A 2012)
That the government should pay compensation to the Stolen Generations (A 2008)
That we have more to fear from George W. Bush than we do from the axis of evil (A 2004)
That the Australian Constitution needs a Bill of Rights. (A 2003)
That Victoria should have a Bill of Rights (B 2006)
That Saddam Hussein should be executed (B 2004)
That we should not detain asylum seekers (B 2004)
That Australia has become the 51st state of America (C 2004)
That Australia should abolish compulsory voting (D 2008)

That our politicians are failing us (D 1995)
That two-party dominance harms democracy (A 2001)
That democracy should never be compromised for progress (A 1996)
That all political parties should have gender quotas (B 2002)
That we should enforce a Ministerial Code of Ethics (B 2001)
That our Head of State should be directly elected by the people (B 1998)
That the republicans are ruining the Australian Republic (C 1999)
That the ALP should divorce itself from the unions (B finals 2002)
That the Democrats are doomed (B finals 2002)
That the Bracks Government has failed to deliver to regional Victoria (C finals 2002)
That Pauline Hanson has a right to be heard (A 1997)
That compulsory voting should be abolished (D finals 2002)
That we should abolish the Upper House in Victoria (C finals 2001)
That religious leaders should not comment on political issues (C finals 2000)
That public figures have a right to private lives (B finals 1998)
That politicians' private lives are not the public's business (B 2000)
Youth Issues

That we should abolish special ‘youth’ wages (B 2013)
That government schools should introduce condom vending machines. (B 2005)
That celebrities have too much influence over teenagers (D 2008)

That we should lower the voting age to 16 (D 2000)
That young Australians should form their own political party (C 2000)
That the government is adequately responding to rural youth issues (D 2001)
That the Playstation has destroyed the playground (D 2000)
That we should introduce a youth curfew (C 1998)
That there should be mandatory reporting of anorexia in school students (A finals 2002)
That Australia should abolish Youth Wages (C finals 2001)
That Australia's youth should work for the dole (D finals 2000)

Human Rights

That parents should not be allowed to refuse medical treatment for their children (B 2017)

That Australia should dramatically increase its refugee intake (B 2016)

That torturing terror suspects for information can be justified. (A 2005)
That the Australian Constitution needs a Bill of Rights. (A 2003)
That Victoria should have a Bill of Rights (B 2006)
That we should not detain asylum seekers (B 2004)

That Australia should do more for human rights (A 1996)
That Australia should accept more refugees (C 1995)
That war crimes trials are unjustified (A finals 1998)
That trade should be linked to human rights (B finals 1998)
That we should link trade to human rights (A 1997)

Society & Economics

That we regret the rise of the sharing economy (e.g. Airbnb) (B 2017)

That we should legalise Uber (B 2016)

That we should use prison labour for public works (D 2016)

That we should ban internet gambling (D 2016)

That women should pay less tax (B 2015)

That we should abolish welfare quarantining (B 2015)

That we should have compulsory military service (C 2015)

That we should ban volunteer tourism (B 2014)

That we should abolish the minimum wage (C 2014)

That we should prohibit public statements that are offensive (D 2013)

That the Government should pay a salary to parents who stay home with their children (D 2013)
That feminism is irrelevant to young women today (B 2013)
That the Government should fund controversial art (C 2013)

That we should set a maximum wage of $1 million for corporate executives (A 2010)
That the West should fear the rise of China (A 2010)
That the media should not be allowed to publish material that is offensive to religion (A 2006)
That Australia is a poor international citizen (B 2012)
That Melbourne’s growth should be upwards, not outwards (B 2010)
That Australia should aim for zero population growth (B 2008)
That the war against terrorism is unfairly restricting our freedom. (B 2005)
That Australians should mourn 26 January as Invasion Day (B 2004)
That Australia should accept far fewer migrants (C 2010)
That we should outlaw alcohol (C 2008)
That we should greatly increase our public transport system instead of building new freeways (C 2006)
That we should have video surveillance in all public places (C 2006)
That women should fight on the front line in combat. (C 2005)
That welfare payments are a privilege not a right. (C 2005)
That we should not celebrate Australia Day (D 2012)
That we should ban all forms of gambling (D 2012)
That judges should be elected (D 2010)
That burning the Australian flag should be illegal (D 2006)
That we should introduce compulsory military service (D 2006)
That we should ban all private cars from the Central Business District of Melbourne (D 2006)
That a mission to Mars would be a waste of money. (D 2006)
That we should have compulsory military service (D 2004)

That we should be thankful for unions (C 1996)
That we must legislate against vilification (A 1995)
That we should all be vegetarian (C 2001)
That Australians are quick to cut down their tall poppies (C 2000)
That women's magazines do more harm than good (C 1999)
That HIV testing should be compulsory for all (C 1999)
That parents should have the right to smack their children (D 2002)
That public transport should be free (D1 998)
That public transport should be operated by the State Government (C 2002)
That we should stop building freeways (C 1996)
That Australia must populate or perish (C finals 2002)
That welfare payments are a privilege not a right (A 1999)
That we should abolish the work-for-the-dole program (D finals 2001)
That Australia needs a new National Anthem (D 2002)
That we should support Affirmative Action (A finals 1998)
That Melbourne needed to be crowned with a Casino (D 1995)
That we will regret our gambling led recovery (D finals 1999)
That we should protect the Australian economy with tariffs (A 2002)
That we should lift restrictions on foreign investment in Qantas (A finals 2002)
That multinational corporations have too much power (A finals 1998)
That public transport should be free (C 2011)
That we should prohibit building homes in areas prone to natural disasters (B 2011)
That we should ban Scientology (A 2011)
That we should have a quota for women on
corporate boards (A 2011)

Education

That we should abolish the ATAR system of university entrance (A 2017)

That we should allow corporate sponsorship of schools (C 2016)

That schools should provide free meals for their students (D 2016)

That all educational institutions should reserve places for indigenous students (C 2015)

That the national curriculum should seek to promote 'Australian values' (C 2014)

That we should ban academic streaming in schools (C 2013)

That we should give parents vouchers to send their children to private schools (A 2007)
That we should ban all overt religious symbols from government schools (A 2004)
That we should require all schools to accept a minimum of 25% of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds (B 2012)
That universities should have quotas for government school students (B 2006)
That the Government should publish league tables which rank school performance (C 2012)
That we should prohibit home schooling (D 2012)
That we should have performance pay for teachers (C 2007)
That we should ban all examinations in schools (D 2007)
That we should selectively stream classes according to ability. (D 2006)
That the government should not fund private schools (D 2004)

That we should increase public funding to private schools (B 2001)
That tertiary education for Australian students should be free (A finals 2002)
That exams are better than CATS (B 1999)
That all secondary schools should be co-educational (C 2002)
That Victoria should re-introduce technical schools (D finals 2002)
That education about illicit drugs should start in primary schools (C 1999)
That Political Studies should be compulsory at school (D finals 2001)
That we should punish school bullies (D 2000)
That learning a second language at school should be compulsory (D 1996)
That our schools should teach Asian second languages before European second languages (D 2000)
That school uniforms should be compulsory (D 1999)
That McDonalds has no place in school (D finals 1998)
That school students should be permitted to protest in school time (D finals 1998)
That private schools should not receive funding from the Government
(D 2011)
That schools should be allowed to drug test students (C 2011)

Sport

That we regret the influence of corporate advertising in sport (C 2017)

That we should ban children from competing in professional sport (D 2017)

That professional sports should have a separate league that permits the use of performance enhancing drugs (C 2016)

That the media should give equal coverage to men’s and women’s sports (D 2016)

That we should legalise all performance enhancing drugs in sport (D 2013)

That we should have equal prize money for women in sport. (B 2005)
That professional sporting teams should not have cheerleaders (C 2007)
That we should ban hunting for sport (C 2005)
That we should not allow under 18 year olds to compete in professional sport (D 2012)
That the Victorian government should not fund major sporting events (D 2007)
That the government should not fund elite sporting organisations (D 2006)
That Athens should be the last Olympics (D 2004)

That we should get tough on sports hooligans (B 2001)
That the media should pay more attention to women in sport (C 1998, C 1995)
That we should legislate for equal prize money for women in sport (D finals 2001)
That money corrupts sport (C 1997)
That contact sports should be banned at school (D 2002)
That our sportspersons are not good role models (D 1999)
That we should legalise all drugs in sport
That Professional Athletes who cheat should be banned for life (D finals 2002)
That Sydney should be the last Olympics (C finals 2000)
That the 2006 Commonwealth Games should be the last (C finals 2002)
That we should not allow animals to be used as objects of sport (D 2011)
That the Government should not fund major sporting events (C 2011)

The Environment

That we should restric urban sprawl (C 2017)

That we should allow development in Antartica (D 2017)

That we should permit fracking (A 2015)

That we should give higher order animals (e.g. monkeys and dolphins) limited 'human' rights. (A 2014)

That the Australian Government should protect anti-whaling protesters who forcibly disrupt whaling ships (C 2013)

The environmental groups should commit violent acts in pursuit of their aims (A 2008)
That we should replace petrol with biofuels (A 2007)
That we should end live animal exports (B 2008)
That Victoria should create drinking water through desalination (B 2007)
That we should end all logging in water catchment areas (C 2007)
That we should lift the international ban on commercial whaling (C 2008)
That Australia should embrace nuclear power (D 2010)
That Australia should embrace nuclear energy (D 2008)
That we should greatly increase the price of water (D 2007)
That we should ban the sale of fur (D 2007)
That we should ban all private cars from the Central Business District of Melbourne (D 2006)
That we should all become vegetarians. (D 2006)
That we should ban live animal exports (D 2004)

That we should abolish the forestry industry (A2001)
That we should put the loggers before the greenies (B 1995)
That we should lift the ban on commercial whaling (B 2002)
That we should support the mining of uranium at Jabiluka (B 1999)
That we should close the zoos (C 1995, D finals 2001)
That a good environment is a first-world luxury (C finals 2002)
That Australia should accept nuclear waste (D finals 2002)
That the environmental movement has failed to make real progress (C finals 1998)
That ecotourism threatens our environment (D finals 1998)
Science, Technology & Health

That we should fear the development of artificial intelligence (D 2017)

That we should allow advertising of prescription medication (A 2013)

That doctors should be able to override family wishes for patients who are unable to consent. (A 2005)
That Australian parents should be able to choose the gender of their children. (A 2003)
That Australia should adopt a national internet filter (C 2010)
That the police should hold the DNA of all Australians on a national database (C 2010)
That social networking sites do more harm than good (C 2008)
That Australian parents should be able to choose the gender of their children (C 2006)
That we should be able to sell our organs for profit. (C 2005)
That smokers should not have access to Medicare (C 2004)
That all Australians should be listed on a DNA database (C 2004)
That we should tax fatty foods (D 2012)
That we should ban cosmetic surgery (D 2010)
That modern technology is a plague on human relationships (D 2010)
That smokers should be denied access to Medicare (D 2010)
That we should ban solariums (D 2008)
That we should tax video games to fund programs that fight childhood obesity (D 2008)
That a mission to Mars would be a waste of money. (D 2006)
That the internet does more harm than good (D 2004)

That the Microsoft Monopoly must be squashed (A 1999)
That we should ban Internet gambling (B2000)
That we have more to hope than fear from the Internet (B 1996)
That public libraries should censor the Internet (C finals 2001)
That the Australian Government should permit Genetically Modified Foods (A 2000)
That we should support human reproductive cloning (B 2002)
That surrogacy should be legalised (B 1998)
That organ donation should be compulsory (C finals 2002)
That child immunisation should be compulsory (D 1998)
That injured patients should not be allowed to sue their doctors (B finals 2002)
That Ritalin does more harm than good (D finals 2002)
That all animal testing should be banned. (C 1998)
That animal testing should have no role in medical research (D finals 1999)
That voluntary euthanasia should be legalised (B 1996, C finals 2000)
That we should not restrict a smoker's access to organ transplants (C 2001)
That smoking should be banned (D 1995)
That the International Space Station is a waste of money (C finals 2001)
That space exploration is a waste of money (D 1999)
That space exploration is not worth the cost (D 2011)

Indigenous Affairs

That indigenous communities should be allowed to administer traditional justice. (A 2015)

That all educational institutions should reserve places for indigenous students (C 2015)
That we should reserve seats in Parliament for Indigenous Australians (D 2013)
That the government has failed Indigenous Australians (A 2012)
That the government should pay compensation to the Stolen Generations (A 2008)
That indigenous people should be punished by their own communities (A 2006)
That Australians should mourn 26 January as Invasion Day (B 2004)

That the Native Title Act has set back the indigenous movement (A 2000)
That White Australia should not apologise (B 1998)
That we are failing our indigenous people (B 1997)
That Aboriginal athletes should be allowed to carry the Aboriginal flag at the Olympics (C finals 200)
Security & International Affairs
That the United Nations should be disbanded (A 1998)
That terrorism can be justified (B 1999)
That power grows from the barrel of a gun (B 1995)
That Australia should greatly increase its military spending (C 2001)
That we should have compulsory military training. (C 2000)
That National Service should be compulsory (D finals 2002)
That Australia should not support a US war on Iraq (A Finals 2002)
That the International Criminal Court will be ineffective (A Finals 2002)
That Australia should not engage with the Burmese dictatorship (B Finals 2002)
That Australia should renounce its claim on Timorese oil (B finals 2002)
That we should thank God for America (B finals 1998)

Media, Entertainment & the Arts

That musems should offer to return historical objects to their country of origin (D 2017)

That we should allow advertising of prescription medication (A 2013)

That governments should not fund the arts (B 2010)
That we should abolish all domestic content quotas on TV and radio (C 2012)
That we should ban all forms of gambling (D 2012)
That we should tax video games to fund programs that fight childhood obesity (D 2008)
That celebrities have too much influence over teenagers (D 2008)
That we should abolish quotas for Australian-made television programs (D 2006)
That the government should not fund controversial art. (D 2006)

That the media should have unrestricted access to immigration detention centres (A 2002)
That we should abolish quotas for Australian content on television (C 2002)
That the government should protect the Australian entertainment industry (C finals 1998)
That government arts funding is a waste of money (A finals 1998)
That raves should be banned (C 1997)
That Hollywood movies should be true to history (D 2001)
That we should ban offensive music (D 2001)
That graffiti is a legitimate art form (D 2001)
That there is too much violence on television (D 1999)
That tobacco advertising should be banned (D 1998)
That TV news is not the news (D 1996)
That TV stations should stop re-screening footage from September 11 (D finals 2002)
That we should ban violent video games (D
2011)
That we should ban beauty pagents (D 2011)

Drugs and Crime

That the media should not be permitted to report on criminal cases until after the trial (A 2016)

That we should not permit the sale of alcohol after midnight (C 2016)

That indigenous communities should be allowed to administer traditional justice. (A 2015)

That we should abolish trial by jury (C 2015)

That we should abolish all forms of incarceration for people under the age of 18 (D 2013)

That we should legalise all performance enhancing drugs in sport (D 2013)
That the police should not carry guns on the beat (B 2010)
That police should only break up violent protests (C 2012)
That the police should hold the DNA of all Australians on a national database (C 2010)
That we should have video surveillance in all public places (C 2006)
That we should legalise all drugs (C 2004)
That we should have mandatory imprisonment for people who light bushfires (D 2007)
That we should legalise marijuana. (D 2006)

That we should maintain the war on drugs (A 1998)
That all drugs should be legalised (A 1995)
That we should support safe injecting houses (B 2000)
That welfare agencies should supervise chroming (C 2002)
That we should decriminalise marijuana (C 2000)
That children who kill should be tried as adults (C 2001)
That arsonists should face compulsory imprisonment (D 2002)
That we support "at home" detention (D 2001)
That the death penalty should be reintroduced (D 1998)
That we should reintroduce the death penalty (D 1997)
That we support a DNA registry for convicted criminals (C finals 2002)
That there should be a right to bear arms (C 1997)
That private citizens should not have a right to own guns (D 1999)
That schools should be allowed to drug test students (C 2011)
That
we should use prison labour for public works (B 2011)

Humorous*
That the better the car the better the pickup (B 1997)
That Santa Claus is a justifiable deception (C 1998)
That the bride should wear black (C 1997)
That Pat Rafter is a worthy "Australian of the Year" (C 2002)
That parenting should be by licence only (D 1998)
That we should ban "Baywatch" (D 1997)
That women need men like fish need bicycles (D 1996)
That Brandon is better than Bart (D 1995)
*warning: humorous topics are no guarantee of a humorous debate.